A number of convertible vehicles are known in which the movable roof can be secured to the windshield frame of the vehicle in its closed position via two laterally outwardly disposed engagement bodies, for instance rotary latches, arresting hooks or the like.
Both engagement bodies are connected to a central manual or powered drive via force communicators, for instance chains or pull and/or push rods, extended substantially transversely to the vehicle and thus following the shape of the front end of the roof where it contacts the windshield frame.
EP 0 972 665 B1 shows a typical arrangement having a central drive with a vertical rotary axle that acts on a drive wheel rotatable around this axis, with two pull-push rods are connected to opposite sides of the drive wheel. The ends of the pull-push rods are cropped to enable a securing over dead center position and nevertheless to ensure that the push-pull rods of the two sides do not interfere with one another in this position when the roof is closed. When the drive wheel rotates, the cropped portions of the rods migrate far to the front or rear respectively resulting in large space requirements in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. There are additionally large space requirements in the vertical direction due to the drive arranged on the rotary axle.
Accordingly, it remains desirable to provide a closing mechanism that improves over conventional designs in terms of function and packaging size.